Trinity
Health deployed two Xenex
LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ two years ago as part of its ongoing
efforts to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) –
infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment in a
hospital, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and Clostridium difficile
(C.diff).

Sue Niebuhr, coordinator of Trinity Health’s Infection Prevention and
Control program, says an analysis of data from the first year of using
the robots shows that HAI infection rates declined by almost half.

“We experienced an average 47% reduction in HAIs after adding pulsed
xenon UV disinfection to our cleaning protocols,” Niebuhr said. “MRSA
infections were down by 34%; VREs declined by 69%; and C.diff infections
were down by 39%. These results are in line with what other hospitals
around the country have experienced and what research
studies have indicated.”

The Xenex robotic
system is able to disinfect surfaces in just five minutes using
pulsed xenon germicidal UV-C light, which is hundreds of times more
intense than sunlight. The system has been shown to be extremely
effective in destroying viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens on
surfaces that could pose a health risk to patients.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged healthcare
providers to intensify their efforts in the fight against multi-drug
resistant organisms. Trinity Health was already following best practices
recommended by the CDC for curbing infections. However, with funds made
available by the Trinity Health Foundation, the hospital decided to add
the Xenex system to its routine cleaning procedures as an extra measure
of protection.

“Patient safety is always our first priority,” Niebuhr said. “We’re
constantly looking for ways to enhance our infection control efforts.
These early results are encouraging and we look forward to continued
improvements in the future.”

Xenex Disinfection Systems

Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots are used for the advanced
disinfection of healthcare facilities. Due to its speed and ease of use,
the Xenex system has proven to integrate smoothly into hospital cleaning
operations. Xenex’s mission is to save lives and reduce suffering by
destroying the deadly pathogens and superbugs that cause hospital
acquired infections (HAIs). The company is backed by well-known
investors that include EW Healthcare Partners, Piper Jaffray Merchant
Services, Malin Corporation, Battery Ventures, Tectonic Ventures,
Targeted Technology Fund II and RK Ventures. For more information, visit Xenex.com.